There are many ways to jack up an airplane that has a conventional landing gear configuration, with main front landing gear and a rear landing gear, to service a tire, wheel, or brakes. Many methods currently in use are precarious at best, and rarely jack up an airplane quickly or safely. The methods and devices currently used in lifting an airplane can result in lost time, injury, or damage to an airplane.
One approach that is typically used to lift an airplane with flat main gear legs typically made of steel or titanium incorporates devices that lift the front landing gear. A jack pad or similar device grips or is attached to a portion of the gear leg to allow other jack components to apply lifting force to the gear leg through the jack pad. Lifting of the gear leg in turn lifts the wheel assembly. This approach can be cumbersome, since jack pads or similar devices often must be reconfigured and readjusted, or disassembled and reassembled for lifting the gear leg. In addition, this approach can scratch, mark, or otherwise mar the gear leg. Another disadvantage of jacking up a gear leg in this manner is that the gear leg may flex as the airplane is lifted, requiring the airplane to be supported or blocked in place while initially raised so that jack components can be moved as the gear leg is lifted to a desired height. Moving the jack components is time consuming, and can be dangerous as an airplane can fall free from supports or the jack components as the jack components are moved.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device and method of lifting an airplane that quickly and safely lifts an airplane by its main spring landing gear without risk of the landing gear sliding off the jack. In addition, there is a need for a jack that is adjustable so that it can be easily and quickly adjusted for different types of aircraft. The present invention addresses these needs.